Advanced Biomedical Research
Volume:6 Issue: 12, Dec 2016

Head trauma is one of the most common reasons for emergency department (ED) care. Over the past decade, initial management strategies in mild and moderate head trauma have become focused on selective computed tomography (CT) use based upon presence or absence of specific aspects of patient history and/or clinical examination which has received more attention following reports of increased cancer risk from CT scans. Recently changes in serum brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels following head trauma have been studied. We investigated the changes in serum levels of BNP in patients with mild and moderate head trauma, in whom the first brain CT scanning was normal.

This study is a cross‑sectional, descriptive research. It was performed in patients with mild and moderate head trauma. Forty‑one patients with isolated mild and moderate traumatic brain injury (Glasgow Coma Scale = 9–15) were included. First brain CT scans were obtained during 2 h after ED arrival and the second one after 24 h. Plasma BNP levels were determined using a specific immunoassay system.

Twenty‑three patients were in Group A (with normal first and second brain CT) and 18 patients in Group B (with normal first and abnormal second brain CT). With P = 0.001, serum BNP level = 9.04 was determined for differentiating two groups.

We concluded that serum BNP level is higher in patients with mild and moderate head trauma with delayed pathologic changes in second brain CT relative to patients with mild and moderate head trauma and with normal delayed brain CT.

Folic acid supplementation had previously mentioned as a protective factor against the onset of preeclampsia (PE). In this study, we aimed to compare the effect of high dose (5 mg daily) and low dose (1 mg daily) of folic acid supplementation on prevalence, onset and severity of PE.

Pregnant women who were in the first trimester and referred to prenatal care university hospitals of Isfahan, Iran during October 2013–May 2015 were included in this study, then they were randomly divided into two groups of 5 mg and 1 mg (treated with daily 5 mg and 1 mg of folic acid, respectively), both groups received folic acid from the first trimester of pregnancy to 42 days after termination. Blood pressure, body mass index (BMI), and some urine and blood biochemistry parameters were measured. SPSS‑22 used for statistical analysis.

A total of 943 pregnant women participated in the study (450 women in 1 mg group and 450 women in 5 mg group). Incidence rate of PE was 3.8% in 1 mg group and 2.4% in 5 mg group. In a comparison of preeclamptic patients in 1 mg and 5 mg group, no significant differences were seen regarding age, BMI, laboratory data, the severity of the disease, and onset (early or late) (P > 0.05).

Although our findings support that administration of high dose folic acid may decrease the prevalence of PE, there is not enough data to support that higher amount of folic acid administration can reduce the severity of presentation’s signs or ameliorate the laboratory data and the onset of PE.

One of the standard equipment in medical linear accelerators is multi‑leaf collimators (MLCs); which is used as a replacement for lead shielding. MLC’s advantages are a reduction of the treatment time, the simplicity of treatment, and better dose distribution. The main disadvantage of MLC is the radiation leakages from the edges and between the leaves. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of various treatment parameters in the magnitude of MLC leakage in linear accelerators.

This project was performed with ONCOR Siemens linear accelerators. The amount of radiation leakage was determined by film dosimetry method. The films were Kodak‑extended dose range‑2, and the beams were 6 MV and 18 MV photons. In another part of the experiment, the fluctuation of the leakage was measured at various depths and fields.

The amount of leakage was generally up to 1.5 ± 0.2% for both energies. The results showed that the level of the leakage and the amount of dose fluctuation depends on the field size and depth of measurement. The amount of the leakage fluctuations in all energies was decreased with increasing of field size. The variation of the leakage versus field size was similar to the inverse of scattering collimator factor.

The amount of leakage was more for 18 MV compare to 6 MV The percentage of the leakage for both energies is less than the 5% value which is recommended by protocols. The fluctuation of the MLC leakage reduced by increasing the field size and depth.

To evaluate effectiveness of collagen crosslinking in pellucid marginal degeneration patients.

Twenty‑one eyes of 15 patients treated by collagen crosslinking were enrolled in our non‑controlled clinical trial study. After evaluation of patients about inclusion and exclusion criteria, preoperative examination was done and then patients underwent CXL procedure and seen 6 months after surgery for postoperative examinations.

Mean preoperative LogMar uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA) was 0.63 (SE = 0.08), and mean preoperative LogMar BCVA was 0.26 (SE = 0.04). At 6 months postoperative, mean LogMar UCVA was 0.59 (SE = 0.06) and mean LogMar BCVA was 0.19 (SE = 0.02). The non‑parametric test (Wilcoxon) showed reduction of LogMar BCVA was significant (P value = 0.02), but reduction of LogMar UCVA was not significant (P value = 0.5). Mean preoperative K1 was 42.23 ± 2.85 and mean postoperative K1 significantly decreased to 41.68 ± 2.44 (P value = 0.008). Also, mean preoperative K2 was 48.39 ± 2.37 and mean postoperative K2 significantly reduced to 47.64 ± 2.16 (P value = 0.002).

Most remarkable findings of our study were improvement of visual acuity and reduction K1 and K2 parameters. Stability of other values and absence of detectable change after study period implies halting of the progression of the disease. We suggest CXL can be useful for management of PMD, but we need more studies with larger sample size and longer follow up.

Current studies have indicated a high ratio of psychological problems in functional dyspepsia (FD) which causes disturbance in its management, so recognition these problems help the process of treatment.

This was a cross-sectional study with a sample size of 4763 carried out in Isfahan University of Medical Sciences in 2011. Modified ROME III questionnaire was used to evaluate FD symptoms. Hospital anxiety and depression scale and 12-item General Health Questionnaire-12 was used to assess the psychological issue. Logistic regression analysis was used to assess the association of psychological problems and FD.

We showed that overly 654 (13.7%), 1338 (28.1%), and 1067 (22.4%) of participants, respectively had anxiety, depression, and of psychological distress. Seven hundred and ten (15.5%) participants were diagnosed with FD. Of all participants Mean scores of anxiety (P < 0.001), depression (P < 0.001), and psychological distress (P < 0.001) in participants with FD were significantly more than those with no FD. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that psychological problems, whether in the form of psychological distress odds ratio (OR): 2 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.3–3) and OR: 1.3 (95% CI: 1.1–1.7) in males and females, respectively, anxiety OR: 2.4 (95% CI: 1.5–3.9) and OR: 2.3 (95% CI: 1.7–3.2) in males and females, respectively) or depression OR: 2.2 (95% CI: 1.5–3.3) and OR: 1.7 (95% CI: 1.3–2.3) in males and females, respectively) were significantly linked to FD in both genders.

The prevalence of FD is less in males than females, but psychological links were stronger in males. Thus, it is essential to consider and detect the psychological distress in these patients.

Patients with functional dyspepsia (FD) may use specific coping strategies. Hence, the aim of the present study was to compare cognitive emotion regulation strategies in FD patients and healthy controls.

This was a descriptive observational study. The sample consisted of 86 individuals, 43 of whom were patients diagnosed with FD. The patients referred to the psychosomatic disorders clinic, Isfahan, Iran. The comparative sample included 43 healthy controls (without digestive diagnoses) matched with the patients by age and gender. Subjects completed data on demographic factors and cognitive emotion regulation questionnaire.

The results indicated that there are significant differences between patients with FD and healthy controls according to using cognitive strategies. Scores of healthy controls in positive reappraisal and acceptance were significantly more than FD patients, and inversely, scores of FD patients in rumination and other‑blame were meaningfully more than healthy controls.

FD patients apply less adaptive strategies and more maladaptive strategies. It is seemed psychological interventions that focus on reducing maladaptive strategies and increasing adaptive strategies could be effective for FD patients.

Using autologous tissue is a simple process and ideal choice for augmentation of the soft facial tissue. In this regard, platelet‑rich fibrin matrix (PRFM) is used for the correction of fine rhytids and nasolabial folds (NLFs) as well as facial augmentation. This study tries to evaluate the tangibility of PRFM for facial augmentation.

In this study, 20 patients (20–45 years) were studied to examine the augmentation (4 patients were excluded). For each, 3cc of PRFM provided by using 35cc of autologous blood and injected through subdermal technique into NLFs. Thickness and volume of the tissue were measured before and 3 months after treatment by sonography. The collected data were analyzed through paired t‑test and independent t‑test by using SPSS version 19.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA).

The study included 16 women, with average of 39.43 ± 6.84 years (age range, 20–45 years). The thickness and the volume of subcutaneous tissue in NLFs before and after treatment show no significant difference on the right side rather than on the left side (P > 0.05), but the thickness and the volume of the tissue on both sides after treatment shows significant increase rather than before treatment, so that this increase was significant statistically. This study shows that different right and left thickness was 0.54 ± 0.51 and 0.51 ± 0.38 (P ≤ 0.001). Further, different right and left volume was 0.25 ± 0.20 and 0.26 ± 0.22, respectively (P < 0.001).

According to the results, the increased tissue volume by PRFM still persists after 3 months of treatment and its retention has been effective on the healing process.

The objective of this study was to evaluate and compare the effects of three methods of using intravenous (IV), subcutaneous and intranasal (IN) fentanyl for pain management following general anesthesia in patients undergoing cesarean section.

A prospective, randomized, single‑blind clinical trial was done on 75 patients aged 20–40 years, American Society of Anesthesiology‑1, who had a normal singleton pregnancy beyond 36 weeks of gestational age. Patients were randomized to receive 50 μg fentanyl intravenously (Group 1), subcutaneously (Group 2) or intranasally (Group 3) after closure of incision. The pain intensity, nausea, the systolic, and diastolic blood pressures were assessed.

All groups were equivalent for baseline characteristics. The average pain visual analog scale (VAS) score was less in the second group who received fentanyl subcutaneously at the time of recovery admission (6.8 ± 1.5) (P = 0.037) and after 3 h (6.36 ± 1.5) (P = 0.033) postoperatively. The mean VAS score of nausea and the mean systolic and diastolic blood pressures were not significantly different between three groups throughout the study (P > 0.05).

subcutaneous fentanyl is an effective alternative to IV and IN route of administration for pain management.

Dorema aucheri is a plant of Apiaceae family which is used widely in some states of Iran. Different extracts and essential oil of Dorema species contain flavonoids and cumarin compounds which have anti‑hypertensive, cholesterol‑ and triglycerides‑lowering properties. This study was undertaken to evaluate the genotoxic properties of hydroalcoholic and aqueous extracts of D. aucheri on human hepatoma cells using the comet assay method for safety evaluation.

In this method, after incubation of cells with different concentrations of extracts, cell suspensions were added to pre‑coated normal agarose slides. After lysis, electrophoresis and neutralization process, staining was done by ethidium bromide and comets were observed using a fluorescence microscope. Tail length, percentage of DNA in tail and tail moment parameters were measured.

Statistical analysis of the results demonstrated that concentrations more than 500 μg/ml of hydroalcoholic and aqueous extract of D. aucheri were genotoxic.

It can be concluded from the results that taking the concentrations less than these dosages of extracts are safe but more studies are required to determine genotoxic mechanisms of this plant.

Degenerative changes and inflammation in the rotator cuff (RC) are the most important causes of shoulder pain. The aim of the present study was to determine the effectiveness of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) in patients with chronic RC tendinopathy.

This study was an open-label study performed at Kashani Hospital between April 2012 and June 2014. Patients with a <1 cm partial tearing of the bursal side of RC with no or little response to conservative management were included. PRP injection was done using ultrasonography guide via posterior subacromial approach. Demographic data were obtained in all patient before the study, and shoulder function was evaluated using Constant shoulder score (CSS) before and 3 months after PRP injection.

A total number of 17 patients were enrolled. The mean of CSS before and after intervention was 37.05 ± 11.03 and 61.76 ± 14.75, respectively (P < 0.001). There was no statistically significant correlation between the pain score before the study and the improvement in CSS (P = 0.45, r = 0.03). Significant relation was observed between the individuals’ age and improvement of CSS (P = 0.02, r = −0.49). There was no significant difference in CSS improvement between genders (P = 0.23).

Single injection of PRP is effective to reduce pain and improve range of motion in patients with bursal side partial tearing of RC who failed to respond to conservative treatments.

22q11.2 microdeletion syndrome is the most common multiple genetic disorder associated with learning disabilities, developmental delays, immune deficiency, hypocalcemia, and cleft palate. Finding some valid criteria for screening of 22q11.2 deletion syndromes in infants would be very helpful in early diagnosis and treatment.

Since 69% of individuals with 22q11.2 deletion have a palatal abnormality, we studied the prevalence of 22q11.2 deletion syndrome in 378 Iranian patients during a 5-year period, including 291 patients affected with cleft palate only without cleft lip (CPO) and 87 patients affected with velopharyngeal incompetence (VPI) and/or submucous cleft palate (SMCP). DNA copy number was analyzed with multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) technique.

In our study, 15/378 (3.97%) patients with palatal anomalies showed 22q11.2 deletion. Interestingly, this prevalence between syndromic patients was 15/104 (14.42%).

It seems that SMCP or VPI, in addition to one or more another features of 22q11.2 deletions, especially developmental delay, may be good criteria for molecular investigation of 22q11.2 region.

© 2016 Advanced Biomedical Research | Published by Wolters Kluwer - Medknow 1 Intratesticular arteriovenous malformation (AVM) is an extremely rare benign testicular lesion. Ultrasonography (US) usually reveals a hypoechoic solid vascular mass within the testicular parenchyma. Herein, we report our experience with a young patient in whom an intratesticular AVM was found incidentally by US during the workup of scrotal trauma

.Congenital absence of the pericardium is a rare abnormality that can be diagnosed by cardiac imaging procedures. A 49‑year‑old male needed medical attention due to the appearance of palpitation with a systolic murmur, and a notable aortic arch deviation was seen in the chest X‑ray. In the echocardiogram, a poor echo window was detected. A cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed a rare concomitant anomaly of partial absence of the pericardium including a rare defect of the right‑sided aortic arch. Using cardiac MRI, the pericardium can be easily visualized, and thus, its absence more easily detected, aiding appropriate clinical decision‑making

The objective of the present study was to assess the major immediate outcomes of eptifibatide therapy during intracoronary stent implantation.

In an interventional study, patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) were randomized into either the eptifibatide (n = 100) or the control (n = 107) group. In each group, demographic and clinical characteristics such as cardiac death, stent thrombosis (ST), myocardial infarction (MI), rates of target lesion and vessel revascularization, cerebral vascular accident (CVA), and emergency coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) were recorded.

The overall rates of major adverse events such as mortality, Stent thrombosis (ST), Myocardial Infarction (MI), target lesion revascularization (TLR), target vessel revascularization (TVR), CVA, and emergency CABG within 24 h after stent implantation were low and comparable between the two groups; P > 0.05 considered significant for all comparisons.

There were no statistical differences between the clinical outcomes of groups administered with single‑dose intracoronary eptifibatide and control groups among patients undergoing PCI during stent implantation.

Dentures are common accidentally ingested foreign bodies (FBs), especially in the aged population. It is usual for a FB to be swallowed in adults and lodge in the esophagus; however, it is unusual for a denture to remain in esophagus for a period of 9 months without any complication. We present, a 57‑year‑old deaf mute man swallowed his denture with the chief complaint of dysphagia and odynophagia only after 9 months. Although multiple attempts for removing the denture by rigid esophagoscopy were done, it entered the stomach, so gastrotomy was performed and the patient recovered uneventfully. In all cases with suspicion of esophageal FB, rigid esophagoscopy seems necessary, but in some unusual cases, large FBs may be remained in esophagus for a long time without perforation.

Pemphigus vulgaris is a chronic inflammatory disease of skin, the etiology of which is not completely known. Despite the latter, anti-desmoglein antibodies play a proven role in the pathogenesis. Recent studies showed an etiologic effect for prolactin in the pemphigus vulgaris. This study aimed to quantify the correlation between serum prolactin levels and anti-desmoglein antibodies in patients with pemphigus vulgaris.

Prolactin and antibodies against desmoglein 1 and 3 measured with ELISA in 14 new subjects of pemphigus vulgaris.

There was no statistically significant relation between both serum prolactin and anti-desmoglein1 levels (r = 0.02, P = 0.47) and serum prolactin and anti-desmoglein 3 levels (r= -0.09, P = 0.38).

This study indicates that no correlation was found between serum prolactin levels and anti-desmoglein 1 levels and serum prolactin and anti-desmoglein 3 levels. However, other studies should be initiated regarding exact molecular and cellular effects of prolactin in the pathogenesis of pemphigus vulgaris.

Syncope is an important and common clinical condition, and the neurally mediated syncope is the most frequent type of syncope. Tilt testing is considered as a first‑line diagnostic test.

We conducted the conventional and modified tilt test on 200 subjects in the age range of 5‑20 years. In conventional protocol, the patient was tilted for up to 15 min without medication. If syncope did not develop, the patient received 0.1 mg/kg sublingual isosorbide dinitrate. Then, the patient was continued to be tilted for another 15 min. In modified tilt test, before starting the test, the patient received 0.1 mg/kg isosorbide dinitrate sublingually in supine position. Then, the table was tilted for a maximum of 25 min or until the test became positive.

In conventional tilt test group 79.13% and in modified tilt test group 87.06% of subjects showed positive results. In conventional tilt test, the mean of response time was 17.67 ± 4.74 min. The mean of the total time of conventional tilt test was 49.81 ± 5.57 min. In modified tilt test, the mean of response time was 7.24 ± 4.83 min. The mean of the total time of modified tilt test was 35.09 ± 7.58 min. Furthermore, the means of both response and total times between two groups were significantly different (P < 0.001).

Our study showed that we can save about 15‑20 min in total test time which may increase the cooperation and compliance of young patients and decrease their anxiety with this new protocol.